Ep. 2 - Alyssa Cowan Rides a Tandem Bike By Herself

It’s not about the destination, it’s about feeling awkward while you ride there. Alyssa is determined to find humor in the inescapably weird concept of a tandem bike, but where does the joke lie? She and Dan discuss several possibilities.

Alyssa talks about her frequent habit of quitting comedy, and Dan expresses admiration for this as he, too, would like to quit more things. They realize that they both hosted radio shows in college, and Dan discusses a fictional DJ named Mordecai who used to co-host with him. Alyssa explains her aversion to collaborating with other people, and reveals her very short-lived career in improv comedy, during which she somehow built a small-but-loyal fan base. They also talk about their love for writing one-liners.

In the second half, Dan revisits his “best joke ever” (according to his wife, who is surely wrong): his Tommy Lee Jones joke. He wants to expand on it so that he can turn it into a reflection on Tommy Lee Jones’ career, culminating in a handful of jokes about Batman Forever. Meanwhile, Alyssa is obsessed with tandem bikes, and is on a mission to come up with a good joke about them. She thinks maybe they would be appealing to twins, and Dan shares his own difficulties with writing twin-related jokes. Ultimately, they find comedic possibilities in the idea of a tandem bike ride share idea.

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